Need help with Mediterranean Cruise

[jlaj617]

Hello all! My husband and I would like to go on a Mediterreanean cruise on our 1st anniversary. We got married on May 31st but can go right before or right after that date. Since we aren't familiar with the area and have only gone on one other cruise, we have no clue where to start our research. We are 26 and 28 and like a mix of relaxation and adventure. We are also up for a lot of sightseeing in this region. Any suggestions? I have received emails advertising balcony rooms for $1200 per person, which sounds like a great price point. Is this possible? Thanks in advance!

[agabbymama]

You have to do your research. I start a graph chart, putting the various cruiselines/ships across the top, then the items that interest me down the side (cabin, ports, times in port, size of ship).

 

My decision was made pretty easy, we wanted Rome, Venice and Greece. When I started searching, Grand Princess was the only line that covered all the areas I wanted to go. I was afraid of the gigantic size of the Grand, and unfortunately was proven correct when we actually boarded and had a difficult time walking from the front to the back of the ship. We were the largest ship in any of the ports we went to. We left from Rome, to Monte Carlo, to Livorno (Pisa & Florence), to Naples, to Santorini, to Kusadasi Turkey, to Mykonos (missed due to high winds), Athens,

Katakolon (Olympia), Corfu and ending in Venice. We had a glorious 12 day cruise with 6 days on land added. We loved our itinerary.

 

The prices will vary greatly depending on length of cruise (7 days will be much cheaper than the longer 12 or more days). We had a balcony for $2000. The dollar was way down when we started, but did rebound to a little better rate by the end of the trip. I've read that there is a lot of speculation that travel to Europe will be down, causing a lot of price cutting and deals.

 

Have fun planning and then taking your trip!

[jlaj617]

Thank you so much for your detailed reply! That graph of yours sounds like a great way to start. We are limited to 2 weeks and I know we will need a day or two to recover after the trip, so I think I already know what our perfect timeline would be. Do you mind sharing how much the average expedition off the boat cost (i.e. sightseeing tours)?

[Aussie One]

If you start your cruise in Venice Celebrity stays there for two days.

this will give you plenty of time to view Venice at your leasure.

i,m not sure about other cruise lines. you will enjoy the med. Grumphy

[cathi]

Most cruiselines now give you an overnight in Venice if you start or end your cruise there. We did Celebrity from Barcelona to Venice. Still think this is one of the best itin's for the Med since it hits pretty well all the highlights -Barcelona, Florence, Rome, Naples, Athens, and Venice. Try for a cruise that includes Dubrovnik - it's the hidden gem in that area!!

[Essiesmom]

The first thing to do is visit a good travel agent. You don't necessarily have to book with them, but have a good chat about what you would like and get their input on what is available. Get an armload of brochures. Take them home anbd study them, go to the online cruiseline sites and look at the shore excursions. Be aware that there are a lot of options out there that a travel agent won't tell you about, nor are they mentioned much on these boards. These are cruise lines that are based in Europe and don't market much, if at all, in the US. MSC and Costa might be names you recognize, as they do the Caribbean, but there are other, too. You can find them listed here in the Cruiselines A-O ans P-Z. They are not as active in posting, because the vast majority of CC members are from our side of the pond. While you are in the Med., particularly the Greek Islands, note all the large cruise ferries. If you do a taster cruise, fall in love with the area and want to go back and spend more time is particular places, these ferries can take you among the islands, have overnight routes, and facilities every bit as comprehensive as the cruise ships! Some are as large, or larger! These are also available in the Baltic...EM

[cusyl]

First think of what countries you want to see, then check to see what ship goes there. Our cruise in the Med was with Princess because my husband wanted to see the Blue Mosque in Turkey.

 

We started in Venice and ended up in Barcelona and saw Italy, France, Greece and Turkey. We arrived a day early in Venice and that is a must see.

 

It is a very port intensive cruise with a lot of excursions to historic places.

For us it was a once in a lifetime trip for our 50th anniversary.

It's a great way to celebrate your first! :D

 

Check out my review of the Grand Princess.

[CruisingJs]

Most cruiselines now give you an overnight in Venice if you start or end your cruise there. We did Celebrity from Barcelona to Venice. Still think this is one of the best itin's for the Med since it hits pretty well all the highlights -Barcelona, Florence, Rome, Naples, Athens, and Venice. Try for a cruise that includes Dubrovnik - it's the hidden gem in that area!!

 

I couldn't agree more! Try to find a cruise that includes Dubrovnik. It's a really beautiful city, very old, but very clean...an amazing look at history.

 

Keep in mind that Mediterranean cruises are very port intensive. Because the ports are so close together, there are very few sea days. Plus, you're touring big cities full of art and history and amazing sights. You may never get back there, so you try to squeeze as much out of your day as possible. I could have used a vacation to recover from that trip. Try to find an itinerary with a little leisure built in.

 

What a great way to spend your 1st anniversary. Have a great cruise.

[tomko2]

Reading some of the reviews on these boards may also help you decide which cruise would suit you best. We went on the Legend of the Seas from Rome in August 2007 (photos and review in the links below). We decided on that particular cruise because we really wanted to go back to Rome and worked 6 nights stay in Rome into our trip.

Next summer we are going on the Brilliance of the Seas from Barcelona and we picked this because a) we want to go to Venice and Florence and b) we love the ship!

Whichever cruise you pick, try and spend some time reading about your ports of call in advance as it really enhances your experience.

Have a wonderful time.

Kathy:)

[Fredr]

Hello all! My husband and I would like to go on a Mediterreanean cruise on our 1st anniversary. We got married on May 31st but can go right before or right after that date. Since we aren't familiar with the area and have only gone on one other cruise, we have no clue where to start our research. We are 26 and 28 and like a mix of relaxation and adventure. We are also up for a lot of sightseeing in this region. Any suggestions? I have received emails advertising balcony rooms for $1200 per person, which sounds like a great price point. Is this possible? Thanks in advance!

 

Hello,

 

Remember that you have to very carefully compare cruises by comparing the out the door price. Some cruise sellers low ball it by not including taxes and port fees. I saw a very nice itinerary on RCL's Brillance of the Seas round trip from Barcelona in early June of 2009. RCL is a very nice cruise line and the Brillance by reputation is a excellent ship.

 

Hope that this helps,

[alcpa1]

I am surprised that no one has yet mentioned checking on the Destinations board for guides and drivers [they are not the same.] There will be wonderful information about each port you will visit.

When you have selected a ship join the Roll Call board and you will find that there will probably be compatible cruisers looking for others to join their tours.

It is advisible to arrive a day before your cruise. This helps you acclimate your body to the time changes, allows you to get a feel for your embarkation port, and increases the liklihood that you will indeed arrive in time to board your ship.

Our Med cruise was a success with the help of our Roll Call and I encourage you to take advantage of all that Cruise Critic has to offer.

Good luck.

[Grannycb]

I'd suggest working with a local agent for Europe, especially if you haven't been before. Check to see if the agent has been there on cruises. Make a couple of appointments so you can think about what you've heard before making a decision. Compare the agent's prices with what you see on line. Ask if there are any group bookings available for dates close to when you want to go. Also, ask for OBC and/or wine, worst that can happen is they aren't available.

 

As others have said, Dubrovnik is a gem. Other ports that we especially enjoyed were Kusadasi, Rhodes, Rome, Florence and Venice.

[jlaj617]

Thank you so much for all of the feedback!

[ILoveScotland]

Okay, here's my two pennies' worth of ideas:

 

First, determine the length of your cruise. A two week cruise will give you more options, but you may not have that much time.

 

Next, do your research and decide where in the Mediterranean you want to go. Do you want to concentrate on the western part which means primarily but not exclusively Barcelona, Nice/Monaco, Livorno (Florence) and Rome? Or do you want to concentrate on the eastern part which might include Venice, Croatia, the Greek Isles, Istanbul and Ephesus.

 

You can do a lot of your research online by simply going to your favorite search engine and finding the tourist board for a city or country. Sometimes you can order brochures directly from the tourist boards. You can also go to a book store like Barnes and Noble and look at their travel books.

 

After you're pretty sure about how long a cruise you want to take and where you want to go you can then start searching for a cruise. You can go to one of the larger online travel sites like orbitz or expedia and do your generic search which will give you lots of options.

 

At that point you could choose a cruise and book with the cruise line, with the online company, with a local TA.

 

Now, I love doing all that research myself. If you don't like to do that, then go straight to a TA and ask for advice.

 

Mostly, enjoy! I've been fortunately to traverse the entire Mediterranean (well not up to Venice and Croatia), and it's all wonderful although I admit a preference for the Eastern Med, but that's a personal matter on my part.

[Bruin Steve]

Hello all! My husband and I would like to go on a Mediterreanean cruise on our 1st anniversary. We got married on May 31st but can go right before or right after that date. Since we aren't familiar with the area and have only gone on one other cruise, we have no clue where to start our research. We are 26 and 28 and like a mix of relaxation and adventure. We are also up for a lot of sightseeing in this region. Any suggestions? I have received emails advertising balcony rooms for $1200 per person, which sounds like a great price point. Is this possible? Thanks in advance!

 

My two cents:

 

First, from your interest in the "$1200 cruise", I can tell budget is an issue, so I won't even bother suggesting Oceania or Azamara (or the luxury lines)...Cruise line may be important since you want to enjoy your time on the ship, have good food and service...so I, personally, rule out Carnival--far too crowded, cuts corners, poor service...With your particular age group, I would probably also eliminate HAL--tends to cater to an older crowd...

 

There are a good many lines that cater primarily to Europeans...I, personally, won't cruise on them...just not the experience I'm looking for, but that's not true of everyone...but, beware cruising on those...My sister and BIL did a Med cruise on Costa a few years back and didn't really enjoy it--entertainment not geared to American or English-speaking people, standards not quite the same...

 

Pretty much I would concentrate on three lines: Celebrity, Royal Caribbean and Princess...All three offer excellent itineraries on 7, 10 and 14 night cruises...My personal opinion is that Celebrity is by far the best--least crowded ships, best food and service, etc. but each will give you a nice cruise experience...RCCL may be most attuned to your age group, but you'd likely be comfortable on any of the three...

 

I would really consider a 14 night cruise--as long as you're flying over there, you may as well get the most out of it...Of course, if 14 nights is your limit, you won't have a lot of time for a pre- or post-cruise stay...I really recommend flying in a day or two early--just to deal with jet lag, fatigue, time changes and as insurance against flight delays, missed connections, etc...If you can't do this, consider the 14 nighters anyway--even if it means risking flying in the day of the cruise--if the cruise starts with an "overnight", you at least have a little insurance...

 

As to ports, if it's your first Med cruise, I would look for something with a little variety...different countries and different kinds of ports...You can pretty much divide Med ports into two major categories: Small and large...Smaller ports (like Mykonos, Corfu, Santorini, Dubrovnik, Malta, Kotor, Rhodes, etc.) can be toured more easily on your own if you prefer. The ship docks close to town and the towns are small and accessible. The large ports (like Rome, Livorno, Naples, Athens, etc.) have docks that are far from the tourist sites. They generally require tours or excursions of some kind and these can get costly--often plan on as much as around $200 per person per day--not that you can't save money organizing a private group tour on the roll call board or by exploring on your own and using public transportation if that's your thing...Still, the size, distances and logistics make this costlier and more difficult...

 

For that first cruise, my preference would be what they typically refer to as the "Grand Mediterranean"--a cruise that spans the region, usually starting in one port and ending in another--like Barcelona to Venice (our first Med Cruise--on Celebrity Millennium--did this, going Venice to Dubrovnik to Corfu to Santorini to Athens to Naples to Rome to Livorno to Villefranche to Barcelona)...still my favorite cruise ever...

 

I would go first to the Princess, Royal Caribbean and Celebrity websites and use their respective "find a cruise" tools: Punch in your date ranges and the Mediterranean and see what comes up...Pick out a couple of options on each line based on the itinerary--which ports you may want to visit. You may think the "at sea" days are a waste of your sightseeing time, but they are not--if you are touring long hot days in port each day, that relaxing break on the ship becomes quite welcome...

 

Anyway, once you have some prospective cruises, then call a TA (If you are interested in economizing, you may want to find a TA that "discounts"--some larger TAs (often not local) will do this either by giving you a break off of what the cruise line website shows as the price...but RCCL and Celebrity do not allow this--so, with those lines, the discounting TA will offer you a premium like an "onboard credit" instead...In any event, this will save you money off of what the cruise line charges to direct bookings ior off of what your local small-time TA will charge...Unfortunately, Cruise Critic will not allow posters to recommend TAs, otherwise I would share the name of mine with you...But, do a little research and see if you can find a TA who will discount prices and will give you some person-to-person advice--not just a computerised website...

 

When you find this TA, tell them the time frame, location and the particular cruises in which you are interested. Ask them to give you a price on EACH cruise and any other similar cruise they might recommend. Tell them price is important to you...sometimes by moving up or back in the calendar, they can find a better price...

 

Again, if on a budget, consider booking an inside cabin. Balconies and suites are really nice...and if money were no object, there's little question...but, with money a concern, remember that the itinerary is port-intensive...You will be out touring most days and, on at sea days, you will likely be out and about the ship...You can do your lounging up on the pool deck...the only times you are likely to be in the cabin are to sleep, change and use the bathroom...

 

Book the air with the cruise...but then perservere in trying to beat the air deal (remembering, of course, to factor in all fees and charges and to consider that the cruise air deal includes your "transfers" to and from the ship and airport). If you can find a better deal on air, just cancel the cruise air portion and convert to cruise only (any time prior to final payment). If you can use your frequent flier miles, great...

 

Good luck...

[agabbymama]

Thank you so much for your detailed reply! That graph of yours sounds like a great way to start. We are limited to 2 weeks and I know we will need a day or two to recover after the trip, so I think I already know what our perfect timeline would be. Do you mind sharing how much the average expedition off the boat cost (i.e. sightseeing tours)?

 

jlaj617,

 

I don't like to spend huge amounts on tours, so I looked and found, the winetasting in Tuscany was $99 pp, the tour in Santorini was $60 and the tour in Kusadasi was $50. Now the taxi we hired in Naples was 99 EUR pp so about $149 pp and the taxi in Athens ran 55 EUR pp or about $80 pp.

 

There were other tours at $259 and $359 pp, but I knew I wasn't interested in tours that cost that much. I tried to keep on a budget, but it's difficult to do with the dollar doing so poorly against the EURO. It has gotten a little better now that we're home (of course). Actually it did get better the last few days we were there, it had dropped to $1.26 per EURO, which was a lot better than the $1.58 when we first arrived in Rome.

 

Again, have fun researching and planning, it is half the fun for me. And don't worry if all your plans don't work out the way you think they will, that's part of the fun too!

[Jade13]

Thank you so much for your detailed reply! That graph of yours sounds like a great way to start. We are limited to 2 weeks and I know we will need a day or two to recover after the trip, so I think I already know what our perfect timeline would be. Do you mind sharing how much the average expedition off the boat cost (i.e. sightseeing tours)?

 

It is a great time to plan a cruise as the prices are low. We loved the Holland America Line itinerary so much that we went two years in a row, east and west. The ship holds approx 2,200 but does not seem very crowded. If you have 3 weeks I can recommend their btb on the Noordam. It is round trip from Rome and next year will include Monte Carlo, Liverno for Florence, Naples for Amalfi Coast and Pompeii, Barcelona, Dubrovnick Croatia, Athens, a number of Greek Islands such as Santorini, Ephesus Turkey, Messina and Palermo Sicily (15 ports including Civitevecchia/Rome). A plus is you even get to the African continent when you stop in Tunesia. They even have an excursion (it was great) from Corfu to Albania and the World Heritage site of Butrinct which was first class.

 

Don't let anyone scare you off regarding your ages and HAL. It is very different in the Med with a younger crowd and the seniors are in great condition as these ports require lots of walking if you want to see a lot. Lots more people in the gym in the morning vs the cruise we took from NYC. Once you pick the ship check the Europe board for lots of advice.

[Jade13]

I would probably also eliminate HAL--tends to cater to an older crowd...

 

quote]

 

Not in the Med. We have been there, done it twice in 2007 and 2008. We are older than 20's but everyone very active on these cruises.

 

Btw, we were also on Celebrity this year and age range the same as HAL, but service and food was lacking. Again, the time of year really makes a difference.

[chipmaster]

Hello all! My husband and I would like to go on a Mediterreanean cruise on our 1st anniversary. We got married on May 31st but can go right before or right after that date. Since we aren't familiar with the area and have only gone on one other cruise, we have no clue where to start our research. We are 26 and 28 and like a mix of relaxation and adventure. We are also up for a lot of sightseeing in this region. Any suggestions? I have received emails advertising balcony rooms for $1200 per person, which sounds like a great price point. Is this possible? Thanks in advance!

 

I'll add my 2 cents.

 

I'd make a list of the most desired cities then go to one of several internet cruise sites or a cruise specialist to find out what cruises hit them. From there you can try and narrow it down to the dates you plan to travel, umm there are too many options and trying to select the one that hits the one you most want to see can be overwhelming. Prices also vary considerably depending on whether you want or have to have view/balcony or can make do with a inside cabin. In the end you might need to compromise between price, port, schedule, cruiseline, and cabin.

 

My personal opinion is that the ship and cruise line matter less then the ports as that is the main focus for selecting the cruise/area. You mentioned money, be warned that you can easily spend upwards of $200 USD/person addition in each city for transportation, tours, guides, food etc. Factor 10-12 day and that is easily equal to more then what you spend on the cabin and airfare! If you are young or young of heart and adventurous you can consider doing some or all the ports on your own. There are some stops that have so much to see and so far from port such as Naples, Civitavecchia(Rome), and Livorno ( Florence/Pisa ) that I think Private tours are worth the hefty dollars to get the most out of. Be sure to factor that into your budgeting.

 

You should spend some time reading the Europe/Mediterranean threads. I did this almost exactly a year ago planning our summer cruise and I learned much from the many threads.

 

Happy planning

[punkmuse]

my husband and i did a RCCL Brilliance of the Seas 2 week mediteranean cruise for our honeymoon and it was absolutely the best vacation EVER!

 

it was expensive but it was our honeymoon and we splurged. there are certainly ways to do it chaeper than we did.

 

we booked ourselves a balcony room and it was great.

the cruiseline seated us at a table of almost all other honeymooners, i find that RCCL does a GREAT job of seating you with people in your age bracket, sounds like a hard job!

 

we did all our excurisions through the ship and dont have a single complaint. we stayed in Barcelona two days before and i highly recommend it if you cruise starts or ends there. there is SO MUCH to see in Barcelona.

 

we also went to south of france, naples, florence/pisa, rome, mykonos, santorini, athens, turkey...i think that is it.

it was an amazing sample of mediteranean countries.

 

seriously cant recommend it enough.

the food was great, the staff was great, just two thumbs way up!